On Thursday, a ceremony was held in South Korea's Incheon International Airport to handover the remains of soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers who died in the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Thirty-six Chinese men who died fighting during the Korean War will finally rest in peace.
On Monday, the remains were placed in coffins, after being unearthed last year from an enemy cemetery in South Korea, where they had been buried for more than six decades. The remains will make it back home before the traditional Chinese tomb-sweeping day in early April.
"We have in the past consecutive years carried out three handovers, involving the remains of 541 soldiers. This is an important embodiment of bilateral friendly relationship continuing to move forward," said Dou Yupei, Chinese Deputy Minister of Civil Affairs.
"Take this repatriation of Chinese soldiers' remains as a momentum, South Korea and China should work hard to boost mutual developing cooperation and common prosperity," said Hwang In-Moo, South Korean Vice Defense Minister.
In 2013, South Korean President Park Geun-hye promised to return the remains of Chinese war veterans found in South Korean territory directly to China. And as a result of this good will gesture, remains of more than 500 Chinese soldiers were repatriated over the last two years.
The two countries fought against each other during the 1950-1953 Korean War. China alongside the DPRK, and South Korea with the U.S.-led U.N. Forces. But much has changed in bilateral ties since the war. Beijing and Seoul established diplomatic ties in 1992, and the two sides have developed a strategic partnership.
And this direct handover of coffins, without going through the DPRK as they last did in 1997, is a symbolic sign that South Korea-China relations are strong and steady even amid recent escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.
